BASF's Coatings division has introduced a new portfolio of eco-efficient clearcoats and undercoats that offers higher quality and increased productivity, and contributes to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. With this comprehensive portfolio, BASF aims to support body shops with increased profitability and sustainability.

These new products have received approvals from leading automotive OEMs, demonstrating their sustainability and technical qualities. With BASF's biomass balance approach, the manufacturing process effectively reduces CO2 emissions by replacing fossil feedstock with renewable raw materials. Through a closed chain of custody and independent certification, BASF ensures the integrity of biomass-balanced products, which are certified under the REDcert2 certification scheme.

Today, body shops are looking for new ways to improve efficiency and profitability to stay competitive, while meeting customer demands for sustainability. This next-generation clearcoats and undercoats directly address these requirements.

"Our new portfolio of leading-edge coatings are specifically designed to support body shops in significantly shortening process times while reducing material and energy consumption," said Susann Kluge, Vice President, BASF Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions Asia Pacific. "We can now offer body shops a total solution that reflects our commitment to be the industry leader in sustainability."

Building upon the successful launches of Glasurit 100 Line and R-M®'s AGILIS basecoat lines in 2020, with VOC (volatile organic compounds) value lower than 250 g/l, the latest coatings from BASF further expand the environmentally friendly options available for the automotive repair industry. These innovative coatings feature rapid UV-A and air drying direct-to-metal solutions, providing time and cost saving.

The new portfolio, available under Glasurit AraClass and R-M Pioneer Series, will be gradually introduced to the Asia Pacific markets in 2024. Simultaneously, body shops seeking efficient, streamlined solutions can look forward to the Glasurit ProClass and R-M Advance Series with clearcoats and undercoats that are easy to use and designed to improve workflow, which will also be rolled out in 2024.